


love me tender

by petitfleur (moonfleur)



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Assassins & Hitmen, Betrayal, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26438182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonfleur/pseuds/petitfleur
Summary: Do you know what it is like to wake up and find a blade in the hands of the one you love?For Soonyoung, well, he finds out the hard way.
Relationships: Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 23
Kudos: 67
Collections: Challenge 2: Betrayal





	love me tender

**Author's Note:**

> I was so excited when I saw the theme was Betrayal for this round (even though I actually voted for fantasy lol) but, this was my stab at it and I hope you like it!

The castle is quiet as Soonyoung walks through the halls, bare feet padding silently across the cold flagstone floor of the hallways. He ignores the way the cold leeches into his skin through the floor and through the thin material of his pyjamas. 

He’d woken up earlier with a feeling, a niggling sensation in his gut that had told him to get out of bed. He had grabbed his dagger from under his pillow, sharpened silver a stark contrast against the polished onyx of the handle. There was a stillness in the air despite the fact that his window was thrown open, and it had felt cloying, almost suffocating, sticky like the calm before the heaviest storm. He had grabbed the dagger and rushed out without a second thought.

The hallways are dark, poorly lit and barely warm, portraits of Kings and Queens long past loom over him, soulless eyes watching from their gilded frames and Soonyoung can almost imagine their disapproval; a prince doesn’t walk about the castle in his sleepwear and without shoes! Soonyoung rolls his eyes and pushes their voices out of his mind as he walks the familiar path to the North Wing. The King’s wing.

The absence of the guards doesn’t escape his notice, a surer sign that something is wrong. He comes across a sword on the ground, its owner nowhere in sight and he feels his heart shoot into his throat. If there had been any doubt, any chance that he was just being paranoid, it is long gone now.

He tightens his grip on his dagger and breaks into a run, there’s no one around to see him anyway. Along the way, he comes across more signs of struggles — pieces of the Royal Guard’s armour littering a corner, rips from clothing, sometimes the flash of liquid, dark and ominous smeared across the walls and floor. But always, always, nothing else — no body, no trace of someone else’s clothes or armour. Whoever it is that took out his guards is a professional, complete practised, if Soonyoung hadn’t woken up he is sure that the hallways would be spotless come morning. 

Soonyoung makes it to the King’s chambers to find the door already ajar, the moon’s rays illuminating the large double bed in the middle of the room. The King is still asleep, he knows, can still hear the way he is breathing, heavily, thickly, almost like he is perpetually an inch from death. It makes Soonyoung’s blood roil even more than the pools of blood did.

He is so preoccupied with the King that he barely notices the figure standing above him, swathed in complete darkness despite standing in the light of the moon. There is something about it — _him_ for Soonyoung is sure it is a man that is standing, dagger in hand, over the King, over his _father_ — so familiar. The slant of his head as he surveys the King, the way he stands, weight completely centred and yet still light on his feet, ready to spring away at any moment.

Soonyoung would recognise that silhouette anywhere.

He takes a step into the room, completely silent but the figure’s head whips towards him anyway, hand poised to throw the dagger in his hand.

“Minghao.” Soonyoung’s voice is steady, not betraying the slight shock he’d felt when Minghao’s eyes had locked with his.

Minghao’s hand tightens on his dagger. “You’re not supposed to be here, Soonyoung.”

Soonyoung raises an eyebrow, mocking, knowing. “Why not? Are you going to kill me too? Like you did with all of my father’s personal guard?”

Minghao’s eyes darken, something Soonyoung notices despite the darkness and the distance between them and Soonyoung finds himself taking another step closer despite the obvious warning in them. “I will if I have to.” _But I don’t want to_. It goes unsaid but Soonyoung hears it anyway, clear as the day he’d first met Minghao all those months ago.

Soonyoung smiles, mirrors the danger in Minghao’s eyes as he closes the distance, dagger twirling expertly in his hands. Minghao raises his own against him, a sight Soonyoung never thought he’d see and yet it has something stirring in his gut all the same. Soonyoung raises his dagger and lays it across Minghao’s, blade to blade as he forces Minghao’s hand down so that he can step even more into his space until they are standing almost chest to chest.

He keeps his dagger hand on Minghao’s but he leans even closer to press their lips together, softly, and just a bit too tender for a moment like this. “What if I don’t stop you?”

This has Minghao pulling away, surprise and confusion warring in his expression and underneath it all a constant wariness, like he expects Soonyoung to loose his proverbial bowstring. Soonyoung releases him, a sign of good faith if you will. “Why?”

Soonyoung glances at the large man lying on the bed, completely oblivious to the fact that he is seconds away from death, and Soonyoung’s expression immediately morphs into disgust. “This man has done nothing except torment me my entire life. He took my mother away from me. He deserves everything he gets.” He looks at Minghao, his gaze hard. “Do it.”

“Soonyoung…” Minghao says, stepping forward but never quite reaching for him.

“Just answer me this,” he says, taking a step away from Minghao. “Was this real? This, us? Or was I just...” he breaks off with a glance at the bed.

This is what breaks Minghao, Soonyoung sees the perfectly crafted facade he has on crumble as he reaches for Soonyoung and pulls him into his arms. Their lips meet, rough and desperate, every unsaid emotion translated into it. “It wasn’t supposed to be…” Minghao whispers as he cradles Soonyoung’s face gently.

“That’s all I needed to know,” Soonyoung says, smiling gently as he replaces Minghao’s dagger with his and gestures towards the bed. 

Minghao doesn’t hesitate as he takes the dagger and drives it home.

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like my wordplay on the word stab? ;)
> 
> Find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/moonfleur_) or [curious cat](http://curiouscat.me/moonfleur_) ♥︎


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